Pronger explains why Gretzky didn't return to the Blews...

[joosforjihad]

http://deadspin.com/5807187/chris-prong ... zkys-hotel

Yes it was Keenans fault.

[gaijin]

Not surprising in the slightest.

[joosforjihad]

Pronger: "Thank (Franking) God I wasn't on the ice [when Yzerman scored]. Because I would have been blamed for it."

lol that's probably true.

[glen a richter]

Keenan set this team back 10 years, at least.

[Leedog]

That was maybe a contributing factor, but the real story was after that same game, the Clarke Partners pulled their offer off the table, as if to question his ability to live up to the contract. That was when he told Janet's best friend they were leaving. Because no one ever questioned his ability to play before.

[cardsfan04]

I obviously had never heard that story, but I always assumed Keenan was the reason. Not sure I agree that he set us back 10 years though. We won the President's Trophy 3 years after he was fired. Bill Laurie set the organization back 10 years.

[cprice12]

What bugs me about the whole Gretzky-Keenan thing is why is Gretzky somehow not supposed to be criticized?
On that 2OT game 7 goal by Yzerman, it was Gretzky's lazy play at center that allowed Yzerman to steal it from him and score 3 seconds later and end the series. Sure, the puck should have been stopped by Casey or blocked by Baron...but still...it was a lazy play.

Now, I'm not defending Keenan by any means, he was a dick and ran/traded some great players out of town and he held this team back a bit.
Gretzky is one of the greatest of all time, but come on...if he screws up, he shouldn't be immune to criticism by the coach in the locker room. Gretzky just comes off as a baby who gets yelled at by his coach and goes home crying and tells his mom he doesn't want to play for him anymore.

Gretzky wasn't stupid. He knew what Keenan was all about when he came here. He had to approve the trade from LA...and he did. Hull has even gone on record and said he told Gretzky not to come here because of Keenan. But he came here anyway. Meh...I don't get it.

I have always had a semi-negative attitude towards Gretzky after that (it doesn't compare to the hatred I have for Keenan though)...I lost a little respect for ol' 99...he should be tougher than that. It's a shame, because I really would have liked to have seen what he could have done here over the rest of his career.

[cardsfan04]

I agree that Gretzky should not be above being criticized, but I read it as Keenan being over the top by coming to his hotel room drunk looking to pick a fight. I know the interview didn't go so far as to say that, but that's what I anticipated coming next.

[cprice12]

I agree that Gretzky should not be above being criticized, but I read it as Keenan being over the top by coming to his hotel room drunk looking to pick a fight. I know the interview didn't go so far as to say that, but that's what I anticipated coming next.

Yeah, if that is the case, then that's a different story.
I'd love to hear the end of that story as well.

[Jack T Adams]

Gretzky's dislike for Keenan did not start until he came to the Blues.

A little tidbit - Many years ago I watched an interview with Gretzky and he said that Keenan met up with him for lunch/dinner sometime after the Blues lost to the Canucks in 95 b/c he wanted to see gretzky's take on whether he thought Grant Fuhr still had it or if he was washed up. (and probably cocaine use too). Gretzky endorsed Fuhr and then Keenan agreed with Glen Sather, that the Blues would sign Group II RFA Shayne Corson and in return the Blues would trade Michael Grier and the rights to sign RFA Curtis Joseph as compensation for signing RFA Corson instead of the usual required compensation of the Blues first round picks for the following two seasons, which usually is the compensation for signing a player to the amount of $ that Corson signed for. Under no circumstance could the Blues lose their first round picks in 1996 and 1997 because they had just lost their first round picks the previous five years to Washington (not New Jersey) and the 1996 draft was held at Kiel Center. The signing of Corson was more about moving Cujo and replacing him with the Gretzky-endorsed Fuhr and not losing any more first round picks.